Rescued Manatee at SeaWorld Orlando Weaned Off the Bottle

According to the Orlando Sentinel, an orphaned baby manatee named Jose at SeaWorld Orlando has “finally weaned off the bottle and is ready for a vegetable diet.”

Jose recently reached 240 pounds which indicated he is ready for his new diet. Once he reaches 600 pounds, the manatee will be set free into the wild.

Additionally, SeaWorld Orlando animal rescuers will now begin limiting Jose’s interactions with humans. Jon Peterson, who coordinates the animal rescue team, said, “There is the time you have to cut that human interaction so he becomes a manatee, so when we return him, he’s not looking for us anymore.”

Jose was found by an animal rescue team after Hurricane Irma in Fort Myers, Florida. The orphaned manatee was only 66 pounds at the time. Jose was separated from his mother.